By Rachel Henderson ICB Reporter 
Hasbara's IPW Logo
Pro-Israel students across the country will soon engage in a national effort to focus attention on Israel's commitment to peace. Between February 20 and March 9, more than 40 universities will participate in Israel Peace Week (IPW.) While IPW originally was conceived by a few students as a response to Israel Apartheid Week (IAW), it has grown in three short years into an expansive array of programs and activities that shed light on Israel and introduce the country to tens of thousands of people.
In 2010, a group of Hasbara Fellows brainstormed ideas for innovative campus programming, and they developed a ground-breaking campaign to counter the negative messages of IAW.
The student-initiated effort explored what Israel was willing to give for peace, as well as the importance of direct negotiations. Activities on multiple campuses provided an opportunity for students to learn about Israel's democracy, and to see firsthand why charges of apartheid are unfounded.
In 2010, the students' efforts reached 30 campuses, and last year the number increased to 50, making IPW a remarkable grass-roots success story. Plans are underway to make IPW even more of a force this year.
“The goal this year is to equip students with a very clear objective, a very clear message that they want to communicate, mainly that Israelis want peace and have demonstrated that they’re ready to make very real sacrifices to achieve that peace,” said Hasbara Fellowships' Director of Education Natalie Menaged.
This is an important message to communicate, she noted, whether students seek to counter IAW or simply want to engage their peers.
A case in point can be found in the Canadian capital of Ottawa. Jake Goldstein is a student at Ottawa University and the president of the city-wide Israel Awareness Committee, which works with students at both his school and Carleton University. The schools' atmospheres are different, he said, but the message disseminated by pro-Israel students remains the same.
Goldstein depicted the atmosphere at Carleton as hostile toward Israel, and said that Ottawa had a mock security wall and Israeli checkpoint "where they would treat you vey poorly and say this is how Israelis treat Palestinians every time they would go through a checkpoint.”
Against this backdrop, Goldstein said students on the two campuses are planning IPW campaigns that will be highlighted by an information campaign led by Jewish and non-Jewish supporters of Israel during the week of March 5.
“Basically, [we want to] give the facts and try to bring the true message of Israel to students on campus,” Goldstein explained.
This won’t be easy at Carleton University, where a group called Science Students against Apartheid Israel has plans to come out in large force. Goldstein is preparing a group of activists to share talking points recommended by the IPW campaign with a training session on March 4, the day before the launch of IPW.
At another school with a history of IAW activities, Arizona State University, Sun Devils for Israel board member Hayley Magerman noted that IPW helps combat the negative atmosphere created by IAW.
Sun Devils for Israel will host a number of innovative events that are designed to appeal to all parts of the campus community between March 11 and 13. The campaign will kick off with Maccabiah Games, which organizers hope will attract the interest of members of the Greek community as well as other sports lovers. The event will highlight games that are an important part of Maccabiah competitions in Israel, including swimming, soccer, tennis and more.
“The whole point for Israel Peace Week is to raise funds for Jewish Hearts for Africa," Magerman said, noting that the organization supports efforts to bring Israeli technology to African villages. "Our campus is very big on sustainability and human rights; it relates to a lot of different clubs on campus.”
Plans for IPW include other activities designed to appeal to a broad range of students and organizations, including an evening called Lights Out for Africa, that will again raise funds for Jewish Hearts for Africa.
Sun Devils for Israel recently asked the ASU administration to change the word “apartheid” in the name of Israel Apartheid Week. Pro-Israel students continue to promote peace in the face of an impending week of IAW activities that will include mock checkpoints and an Apartheid Wall on campus.
At DePaul University, plans are underway to hold IPW activities in cooperation with the College Republicans. DePaul student and Hasbara Fellow Hannah Jacobs said IPW is slated for February 20-27. The week will begin with a screening of the film "Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference," and will culminate with a Wall of Truth that will be erected at the same time as Students for Justice in Palestine promotes its own Apartheid Wall. Other planned activities include an Israel-themed party and tabling throughout the week.
ICB will report on IPW events from around the country during February and March.
For more information on IPW, click here.
To tell us about your school's plans for IPW, email us at tips@israelcampusbeat.org